If you think it’s too early to talk about the holidays, know that you’ve got less than four weeks to come up with an excuse to avoid Aunt Margaret’s* for Thanksgiving, where crazy uncle Jimmy will try and sell the table on his “self-published” thesis revealing all crustaceans to actually be aliens in disguise, and how this extraterrestrial Scampilluminati are covertly using milk pasteurization to turn the youth of today into an obedient cult of spineless mutated sapien-mollusks.
It’s gonna be a helluva holiday season. This year especially.
Point is: the events season is almost here. And whether it’s Fancy or Granny’s, BR has you covered. And 40% off is as good as it gets for them. It’s basically an early Black Friday deal. Usual exclusions apply. Off we go.
Size shown above is a medium on 5’10″/185.
Banana Republic’s cold-weather outerwear department has excelled for years. This year is just as impressive. They use nice fabrics, the overall quality is there, and they’re not priced into the stratosphere (especially when on sale). Fabric on these is a 75% wool / 25% nylon melton from Italy’s Manifattura Emmetex. Purposefully cut with a little extra room so you can layer it over a blazer or heavy sweater.
At post time these are actually getting the 40% off, even though the exclusions seem to state that all shoes are out. Guess not? Made in Portugal. Textured Italian leather uppers. Rubber soles. Blake Stitched. BR’s shoes and boots have been hit or miss the last year or two… but fingers (and toes) crossed that these are a hit. Could be a super-versatile pair of boots that’ll go with everything from jeans or chinos to a full blown suit.
Responsible Wool Certified merino knitted by Italy’s Zegna Baruffa mill. Soft but strong, temperature regulating merino wool. There are a lot of cheap, crummy feeling sweaters out there. These aren’t those.
A basic, but a really well-executed basic. Responsible Wool Standard certified. 100% merino. Note that these have actually come down in price from last year. Last year they were $90 MSRP. This year $80. Nice!
And to now complete the Banana Republic Italian merino wool sweater trifecta… the half-zips. Because the gals in accounting love it when you dress “wintry.”
Just enough pattern up top so you can keep the rest of your outfit simple. Wear it with jeans or flannel trousers, dress shirts and sweaters, etc. Fabric is a blend: 67% recycled wool, 30% nylon, 3% other from Italy’s Lanificio Comatex mill.
For those who want something more substantial than what you’d find at Target or Old Navy. Double Knit = a bit thicker, but not bulky like a sweatshirt. Word is they run a bit large, so if you prefer a slimmer fit, consider sizing down.
These are the cool/cold weather version of BR’s bestselling Italian Stretch Cotton Five pockets. Same theory (super comfortable 5-pocket style pants to wear when you want to wear jeans but maybe don’t want to wear jeans) only in a super soft brushed Italian moleskin.
And the slightly dressier (notice the crease down the legs) “chino” version. Still made from super soft brushed Italian chino, but this time in a smarter looking chino/dress pant pocket layout with two slash pockets and a couple of welts at the back. In terms of seasonal trousers, these seem like they could be a steal at this price.
Speaking of super-soft… For those that want to go big and stand out a bit at some hot holiday shin-dig. Yes there are matching velvet pants, but that’s a LOT of velvet all at once (shown very top right of post). Wearing the jacket with some more subtle pants (maybe these, these, or these) will already get you noticed. People will touch your jacket. All night. Wearing the matching pants would be a very big move. But if that’s you, go for it.
For those who are up to their necks, quite literally, in shawl collar sweaters and would prefer something a bit different looking. 100% merino from Italy’s Zegna Baruffa mill. Full zip front so you don’t have to pull it over your head like a quarter or half zip sweater. Looks like it could double as outerwear on days that are not too terribly cold or wet. Sidenote: That turtleneck underneath makes it tough to tell what sort of dang neck this thing has. It’s a ribbed-knit baseball/bomber style.
Leather apparel is excluded, but it looks like some accessories are in. Nubuck = suede with a shorter nap, very matte, and something you’ll probably get plenty of use out of. Would look really good with a pair of dark wash denim.
Flannels that aren’t dependent on plaids, although they’ve got a couple of those too. Button down collar so the points don’t go flapping up and carrying off uncontrolled.
BR’s take on a classic peacoat. Your color options are: Black. That’s it. No higher-up hand warmer pockets like their competitor, J. Crew. But boy does that 75% virgin wool, 25% nylon fabric (also from Manifattura Emmetex) look good here.
Fancy sweats! 57% polyester, 43% wool. Charcoal gray or chocolate brown. Matching crewneck “sweatshirts” can be found here if you wanna get all intentionally “matchy matchy.”
Some corduroy shirts are so thick they’re cumbersome to wear. These claim to not be those. Lightweight on purpose, they’re an easy fall/winter textured shirt that’s different from the usual oxford cloth or poplin, but still versatile.
Wait, a fleece-style coat that’s actually made from wool? Imagine that. 73% wool, 14% nylon, 13% poly. Zip front instead of the traditional buttons you’d find on most other chore jackets.
Tis the season. Ribbed texture. Italian wool blend. A few different colors.
BR’s flagship chinos. Not as lightweight and airy as their Core Temp pants, but that’s preferred by those who like more of a “true” chino feel. Yet they’re still engineered-for-movement. 90% cotton, 8% elasterell, 2% spandex blend. Lots of colors to choose from. Also a reminder that these are their pants that come with the rectangular label/branding over the back right pocket. That’s a dealbreaker for some guys, but BR has stuck with it over the years.
Wrinkle resistant 100% cotton fabric, all the colors/patterns you could want, and super sharp looking collars. The one drawback (and it’s a dealbreaker for some) is that despite being dress shirts, they’re sold in “alpha” sizes like small, medium, large, etc. Really wish BR would make the switch to neck and sleeve measurements for their dress shirts. It’s just more precise.
If a luxury fisherman’s sweater can exist, this be it. 80% extra-fine merino wool, 20% nylon spun in Italy. Chunky cable knit and a comfortable/traditional fit.
Black and cognac. Just depends on which side you’ve got facing out. Weathered looking buckle keeps the glare down without looking overly vintage.
Four button placket, six fall-ready colors, and BR’s super-soft wash fabric that feels like a favorite from the very beginning.
Wool blend fabric from Italy’s Manifattura Tessile mill. That dark olive green color is something that’s just different enough from the usual gray/navy/camel colors most outerwear comes in. Also shown at the very top of the post.
100% cotton luxury-touch jersey knit fabric. Lots of colors. Long sleeves for fall/winter. Just be careful with them in the washer/dryer so you don’t shrink them.
Whereas other vests come in solid (often primary) colors and can be a bit shiny with their exterior, this one has a muted and matte micro herringbone. Perfect.
These are BR’s dress trousers for worker bees who want to be able to machine wash their work-pants and not have to worry too much about ironing them. At least that’s what they’re claiming with these 99% cotton / 1% stretch Italian numbers. Mid-rise. Tapered slim leg. Fabric is from Italy’s Tessuti di Sondrio mill. Lots of visual texture.
More upgraded “sweats.” Marled gray fabric and sweatshirt-style knit anchor it in old-school athletic wear, while the ribbed 65% polyester, 35% wool fabric makes it look and feel way nicer than Rocky-style workout gear.
Warning: these have been updated and fans of the previous version might not be totally in love with the “improvements.” These are the Traveler Jean 2.0. They’ve been re-engineered for “a more pronounced texture that achieves beautifully authentic washes.” And that is an exceptionally accurate description. What gets lost though is the old softness and extreme flexibility of the original Traveler Jeans so many of us have come to love. Are they still comfortable and stretchy? Yes. Are they the same? No they are not. If you want something similar to the old Banana Republic Traveler Jean… try the BR Factory version. They’re almost identical to the old mainline BR Traveler… and they’re significantly cheaper.
One of their bestsellers. Super soft, Italian milled, high-recovery yet still stretchy cotton cut and sewn into versatile five pocket pants. All the colors you’d expect, with a few curveballs thrown in. Fabric mix is 58% organic cotton, 32% modal, 7% polyester, 3% elastane. Fifteen colors to choose from. Slim or athletic fits to pick from.
For those who are going all out on New Years. Wider but not obnoxious peak lapels, covered buttons, and made from Marzotto wool. Sold as separates so you get to pick the size of the jacket and trousers independently from each other.
The Final Boss of reusable grocery bags. People in line at Aldi & Trader Joe’s will whisper in reverence. Okay, no they won’t. But cool bag though.
The 40% off Banana Republic holiday preview event is set to end on Friday 11/8.
*Some people love Aunt Margaret’s. And crazy Uncle Jimmy too. If that’s you, you’re a better person than I’ll (Joe) ever be. Travel safe as you head over the hills and through the woods this season.
Weekend update: JCF drops the price on those suede boots to under $80 (final sale…
Fall textures. Smoothly suited. Dark and sleek. Etc.
In person with an iconic loafer... in a not so classic shade.
It's autumnal temptation time. Coats. Boots. Blazers. Sweaters. Shoes.
Brooks Brothers also gets in on the "sale's on sale" act.
Sweaters, boots, the occasional suit. It's a 30% off + additional 15% off stacking deal.
